Glassware is commonly sold in cardboard containers which wrap around two, four or possibly more glasses. Typically, the containers have a top, a pair of sides and a bottom joined together to form a sleeve surrounding the glasses. At least one partition wall extends vertically from the top to the bottom to define adjacent interior compartments within the sleeve and to keep the bottom from sagging. A pair of glasses are put side-by-side into each compartment of the sleeve. Tabs folded down from the top of the sleeve may separate the rims of the glasses in each compartment. A horizontal dividing member may keep the adjacent glasses in each compartment from touching at their bottoms. These carriers arrive at a glassware factory in a flattened state. When glassware is ready for shipping, a worker must erect the container and insert the appropriate number of glasses in it.
Several types of horizontal dividing members have been used in collapsible display carriers. One form is connected to both sides of the carrier and extends continuously as a single piece between them. This type of dividing member is formed integrally with the partition wall and folds along a horizontal line where the dividing member intersects the plane of the partition wall. This type of horizontal dividing member is disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,875,585 issued to Kadleck et al.
A second form of horizontal dividing member is formed from a plurality of panels cut from at least one sidewall, and each of the one or more partition walls and extends continuously across the interior of the carrier. This type of horizontal dividing member is known, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,640,417 issued to Durand.
Because of the competitive nature of the glassware industry, packaging technology has developed rapidly. The emphasis has been on carriers which can be made from a single piece blank, can be flattened for storage and can easily be erected to receive and present the glassware or other articles to be displayed. Thus, although prior art carriers having horizontal dividing members are generally satisfactory for certain applications, there continues to be a need for improved collapsible carriers having a horizontal dividing member which can be readily filled with articles with a minimum of manipulation, which offers ease of use and which attractively displays articles in the carrier.